


Urahara Ichigo

by SereneSorrow



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Ichigo is a Hollow, Kid Ichigo, Urahara adopts Ichigo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2019-08-05 13:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16368296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneSorrow/pseuds/SereneSorrow
Summary: After becoming a Hollow Ichigo is turned away by his family and meets a collection of people who can see past his pale skin to the soul beneath.Or:Living in a candy store is nothing like Ichigo would have guessed, but at least his crazy new family is nice to him.





	1. Chapter 1

     In the dark, in the rain, a child's eyes couldn't tell the difference. She'd taught him better, he knew the difference but the blurry white apparition was enough to fool him. It played on his desire to help, to protect.

     “Ichigo!” Her frantic horror was enough to make him turn back from the ghoulish Hollow crouching over the rushing river and blanch as her bow aimed for the little girl he'd wanted to save.

     “Ka-san?” He cried in surprised fear, as arrows rained down around him amidst the water pounding over their heads.

     The burst of spiritual pressure exploded up from the riverbank behind him, leaping over his head towards the woman, the threat. Ichigo fell into the mud as the Hollow passed him by, shivering in shock and cold Ichigo pushed himself up to search for his mother in the darkness.

     Bright flashes of reishi sparked through the black night, met by inhuman roars that brought tears to his eyes. He couldn't see her though, he couldn't see his mother anymore, _where was she?_ Stumbling nearly blind back up the riverbank towards the light Ichigo stopped dead in fear at the sight of the giant monster _-Hollow, he knew that, ka-san taught him that-_ as it struck out at his mother. Ichigo watched them dodge around each other, lashing out occasionally, neither one defeating the other, then -

     It hit her.

_It hit her!_

     It hit her and she fell, she wasn't getting up.

     _She wasn't moving!_

     With terrified breaths rushing from his lungs and adrenaline surging through his tiny limbs Ichigo ran between the monster and his beloved ka-san.

     To see if she was okay.

     To protect her.

     _To die with her?_

     He didn't know.

     He didn't think, there wasn't a single coherent thought in the nine year old's head as the descending limb crashed into him, snatched him up and tossed him between the gleaming white teeth and into the monster's gaping mouth. One image registered, and was burned into Ichigo's memory, Ka-san. Awake and on her hands and knees in the mud, looking up at him, reaching out through the dark and rain as though their hands could meet if he only took a step forward. Her terrified face, mouth open wide in a scream of anguish. Then the teeth closed over him and sight and thought were gone, but not memory. No, memory remained.

***

     That beast.

     That beast ate her baby.

     Masaki couldn't breathe. The sight of her Ichigo disappearing into that vile Hollow's mouth was such a shock to her system that the world went silent around her, or maybe she'd gone deaf, and with a perfect kind of clarity everything slowed down.

     She was able to push herself to her feet.

     To move forward.

     _Now_ she was able to stand.

     Now she was able to raise her bow, take aim.

     Face her target head on.

     Send an arrow squarely into its grinning mask.

     If only it had happened sooner.

     Her little boy, her Ichigo, came tumbling back out of the Hollow's mouth as the twisted soul screeched some nonsense about the cracks spreading through it's mask. She ignored it. Ignored everything but stumbling her way closer to her Ichigo.

     She knew. She already knew that it was much too late. Crushed between those teeth, that fall, she knew long before she was clutching his broken and bloody body in her arms that her boy was gone. Dead. Her boy. Her baby. Her protector.

     Her tears poured harder than the rain. She didn't know what had happened to the Hollow. Didn't remember who found her there by the river the next morning. Didn't remember the police, the inquiry, the investigation or the extension of their _family_ vacation until it was all over and they returned to Tokyo from that horrible small city of Karakura.

     She did remember the funeral, where tears to match her own flowed from many faces and she clutched her daughters to her more and more tightly the longer it all went on, while her husband somehow managed to pull himself together enough to take care of everything. Take care of them. The family he had left.

***

     He wouldn't remember it, any of it, later. Grand Fisher fell into a river, his river, the perfect place that he had found for luring his prey. The pain, agony, of his cracked mask distracted him until he had been swept far downriver. When he finally had the presence of mind to drag himself from the water he simply laid on the bank and endured the pain for as long as he could.

     Until a thought rose in his mind. Grand Fisher wasn't much for existential contemplation, so why the idea came to him or where it originated he couldn't say. It did though, and despite the certainty he'd always lived by he decided it was worth a shot, if only to relieve the pain.

     One clawed hand reached up, lightly tracing the crack to the edge of his mask. Fingers curled around the now jagged edge, and with a burst of determination pressure was exerted. The edge crumbling away, the crack spreading quickly, the heightened pain seemed to last forever as Grand Fisher refused to give up.

     The mask splintered into rough shards that fell away all at once, white crumbling to dust in the air as the body once beneath the mask writhed and twisted, then molded into a new shape as Kurosaki Ichigo broke free. An Arrancar born of the Hogyoku and strengthened by the souls of the Grand Fisher.

     Mindless, unaware of the struggle he had just endured, Ichigo fell back against the wet grass to sleep off his exhaustion. To sleep and to forget, forget everything since his mother's reaching hand fell away.


	2. Chapter 2

     The boy who woke beside the river was confused. He knew who he was, he knew his name, he was Kurosaki Ichigo. He was nine and he had been walking with his mother back to the small hotel where their family was staying during their short vacation when something tragic had happened. Something he didn't want to think about. Something that he would rather not remember clearly because even just the impression of memory made him feel a fear greater than any he had ever felt in his short life, and he started crying, the only way his young mind could cope with the stress.

     What the boy didn't know was where he was, or why his mother wasn't with him. He was always with ka-san, and he had been, _so where was she now?_ Worried, the boy looked around at the muddy hillside, but he didn't see anyone near him. The river bank was empty, just grass and something weird like white shells that crumbled to powder and then vanished as he watched.

     Giving up on understanding that Ichigo crawled to the river's edge, looking into the water, clear in the bright morning sunlight. The face that stared back at him was a shock. For a moment he wasn't sure who he was looking at. There was a boy, who looked like him but if he was in one of those black and white movies like the one his parents had shown him once. The boy was dressed strangely though, not in the regular pants and shirt and jacket like Ichigo had been wearing, no he was wearing really old fashioned clothes like the ones he had seen in a museum or on TV when people had important gatherings.

     Ichigo stared at the water for a while, before he dared to raise a hand to his cheek and saw the refection do the same. That was him. _Why was he in black and white?_ The only color he could see at all, now that his hair was white instead of the cursed orange he'd expected, was a gold-yellow color where his eyes had always been brown before.

     In a sudden panic Ichigo jerked back from the sight and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he stared out over the river to the other side. He was probably crying again, like everyone always made fun of him for, but he didn't care. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how long he sat there, lost in thoughts and barely seeing the world around him as the tears dried away.

     Eventually he'd decided that he needed to find his mother, but the few people who'd passed by when Ichigo had climbed up the river bank and stood by the sidewalk had walked right past him as if they didn't see him at all, even when he tried to talk to them. Frustrated, he'd started crying again but even that didn't get him any attention. Ichigo didn't know how long he spent trying to ask for help, he only noticed that it was dark when no more people had come by for a while, and he realized that he hadn't even felt hungry all day.

     He didn't know how many days passed that way, but he never got hungry, which was scary and made him cry even more. Eventually he started walking back and fourth down the sidewalk, walking and walking from one end of the river to the other. No one ever helped him, and he decided to find his way home, because Ka-san would have to be _there_. He didn't want to get lost though, so he stayed by the water for another day fretting over the decision to leave, before he realized that he should find a map. His parents had just taught him how to read maps so that he could help navigate on their vacation, if he had a map to home he'd be able to get there.

     Excited with his plan Ichigo followed a man with a briefcase because when Ichigo's father had picked up their map it had been in a little stand surrounded by people who looked like they were going to work at offices. Lots of them had briefcases. He looked around more when they got to a busy street full of people and Ichigo lost track of the first man he'd been following, but he followed some others around in circles until he nearly ran into a booth on a corner that had lots of newspapers and magazines. Startled, Ichigo looked around at the colors and words, then peeked up over the counter at the board looking man who was selling things. He kept closing his eyes and Ichigo saw a man take a paper without leaving any money and the man didn't even notice. Ichigo didn't think that was right but he couldn't tell anyone, no one could see him anyway. No one could hear him if he tried.

     Nervously Ichigo looked over all the papers carefully, until he found a bunch of maps. He read every title slowly, making sure he knew what they all were, and thought carefully before he picked which map he wanted. Uncertainly, with another look at the sleepy man, Ichigo pulled out his map and then with a sudden burst of fear started running until he was around a corner out of sight of the map-seller. He'd just stolen something. He'd never done that before.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and we're back! Thanks for the comments, sorry I haven't been good at answering comments lately ^^' , but they definitely reminded me to update this, so I was glad to read them! :D

     He would never know just how long it took him to get home. He walked as if in a trance, the rush of wind buffeting him as cars shot past him on the road, clutching his map so tightly it was nothing but wrinkles just to save it from being blown away. Reading the signs high overhead or in the dark gave him pause, but he kept going, thinking about seeing ka-san again.

     When he finally recognized the ice cream shop ka-san took him to sometimes he knew that he had read his map right, and that he was nearly home. A huge smile stretched his face at the thought of getting home soon and seeing his family again. He wanted to run but he stopped himself, continuing to read the signs and look for familiar places to make sure that he didn't get lost.

     There it was, his home. He recognized it immediately, and ran to the front door. The windows were lit up even though it was really dark outside and Ichigo tried turning the doorknob but it wouldn't open. Hurriedly he knocked as hard as he could, desperate and excited to see his family again. After a moment of waiting, fidgeting on the doorstep, the door swung open to reveal his parents.

     With an ecstatic cry of “ka-san!” Ichigo lept forward to come inside, arms outstretched for a hug, not noticing the horrified looks on both of his parents faces as he came towards them.

     Before he made contact with ka-san he was shoved away, tumbling back outside and down the stairs. Ichigo looked up in confusion and shock from where he was seated below the steps, his parents framed in the bright doorway looking at him in a way he had never seen before. He didn't like it, the way they were looking at him. It made his chest hurt, _why were they looking like that? Did he do something wrong? Were they angry? What did he do?_

     “Ka-san?” He asked quietly, fearfully.

     “How dare you! Using our son's likeness as a lure! You think you can fool us like this? You think you can eat us? Eat our daughters, just because you look a little like our Ichigo? God-Damned Hollow bastard!” His father yelled at him, and Ichigo didn't understand what he was saying.

     Ichigo felt himself shaking, tears in his eyes while he called out to his parents again, but this time ka-san stepped forward and the blue bow and arrows that he'd seen her use that night when they got separated appeared. _Why was she pointing them at him?_

     “Ka-san?” He cried as the arrows shot towards him and he shoved himself to his feet and ran to the side of the house to get away.

     “Ka-san?” Ichigo called again when he turned back to look at her but she was still holding the bow, and coming outside towards him now, and firing again. _Why? What did he do?_

     “Get away from our house, Hollow!” She yelled at him as he ran around the corner and to the back yard with her following quickly behind him.

     “B-but ka-sa-” Ichigo tripped over something he couldn't see through the tears pouring out of his eyes and landed hard in the mud puddle that always collected at the side of the play house. He sniffed and pulled himself up by the little windowsill and hid behind the little house while blue arrows landed around him.

     “Get away! I won't let you eat my other children!” She yelled at him.

     Ichigo felt like he couldn't breathe, tears and mud on his face and strange clothes. He peeked over the roof of the house at ka-san but he couldn't see her face clearly, the lights from the house windows were really bright and made her a shadow.

     Blue arrows landed next to his hands and face in flashes and suddenly Ichigo felt like he could see really clearly, his eyes seemed to zoom in on one of the windows upstairs. He could see Karin and Yuzu! They were looking through the window at him and ka-san! _Why were they crying? Why were they upset? What was wrong?_

     Suddenly ka-san flung herself over the top of the playhouse at him, Ichigo had to run away again or she might have kicked him, landed on top of him and crushed him into the ground. _Why was she chasing him like this? Why was she mad at him?_

     “Stay away from my daughters! Don't you even look at them, don't look at them like that!” She screamed, another arrow coming so close to him that his arm burned horribly and made him stumble.

     Panting for breath Ichigo ran around the yard and back to the front of the house, trying to turn around and ask ka-san again what he'd done wrong but she just kept shooting arrows at him and he didn't want to get hit! That arrow hurt! His arm still felt like it was burning! _Why was she chasing him away?_ This was his home, _wasn't it?_ He wanted to come home!

     Suddenly Ichigo jumped to the side, knowing that something would hit him if he didn't. A bright light hit the ground where he'd been standing and exploded. Another one came too close and hit his ankle, making him trip and fall. His ankle throbbed painfully but he climbed to his feet again and dived away as more lights exploded around him. His father was standing there with both hands raised, more light glowing from them and Ichigo didn't stop moving away.

     “Get away from here! If we catch you you're dead hollow!” His father yelled at him from the front yard as ka-san came to stand beside him.

     Ichigo kept running, he had to keep running, to get away from the arrows and the lights _and his family?_ He kept running and running and running, until he was far away from the arrows and everything was dark and cold and he didn't know where he was anymore.

     He slumped to the ground against a brick wall, panting and crying and shaking and curled up into a ball all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this keeps being sad. … … … It's supposed to be happier later... … … whenever that's going to be... … hmmmm... ?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments last chapter everybody! And yeah, this story kinda makes Isshin and Masaki the bad guys... it's kinda necessary for the story ya know... Since we already know from the series description that Ichigo is getting a NEW family I did HAVE to make them mean and such...

     “Kisuke!” Yoruichi called as she bounded over the crowd in the airport.

     Tessai followed her at a reasonably boring pace, striding over the heads of the living passengers. Yoruichi threw herself at her old friend and tackled him to the ground, luckily the three of them were in spirit form and likely there was no-one in the area who could see them. Not that she wouldn't have tackled him anyway of course.

     He was immediately struggling to disentangle himself from her and not be trampled by anyone living, there was a close call with the heal of a boot and Kisuke's hand where it rested briefly on the floor in the path of a harried passenger and she didn't miss it when Kisuke threw a pleading look at Tessai. As he joined them Tessai only raised an eyebrow at him and left him to get himself out of his own mess again. What a _terrible_ friend. She really loved that man, he complimented her and Kisuke perfectly. Yoruichi grinned at Kisuke as he clawed his way across the floor and out from under her. When he finally stood panting for air between them she clapped him on the back with a grin.

    Exiting the airport into the pleasant twilight they let Kisuke take the lead as they lept to the nearest rooftop and set off into the town. “So what's this new place you have for us? Not another warehouse is it?” Yoruichi asked as they left the airport.

     “No no, not a warehouse, and how are our Visored friends?” Kisuke asked of their warehouse dwelling comrades who refused real homes and instead chose more durable accommodations together.

     “As furious with you as ever?” Yoruichi teased, trying to take the sting out of the truth that the Visoreds still somewhat blamed Kisuke for their condition, or perhaps just their continued hollowfication. Their anger was largely misplaced, but then Aizen was far away and Kisuke was the convenient target to hand, even if they were all on the same side.

     “Shinji's enjoying England, Hiyori's enjoying kicking his ass around England, Rose is composing again so they're good on disposable income.” Yoruichi continued, going on to describe the exploits of the rest of the Visoreds. As Kisuke led them through the small city he broke into her anecdotes to point out places of interest like grocery stores. As if she would ever need to know where such a place was, chores like that were for less resourceful souls. She snickered at the thought of how she could get out of being sent for supplies. _'Misplace' her gigai perhaps?_

     Finally Kisuke stopped and waved up at a storefront that looked more like a derelict facade of a bygone era than a modern business. 'Urahara Shōten' proclaimed a weathered sign and she wondered if he'd aged the sign on purpose, the goof. It was just the sort of thing he would do.

     “A prime location for hollow activity, and soul reapers in dire need.” Tessai observed.

     “But a candy store? Really Kisuke, how are you going to stay in business in this neighborhood?” Yoruichi asked with exasperated fondness. She knew Tessai would largely run the business while Kisuke was distracted with one thing after another, he could at least make it easier for their stoic friend.

     “Well, we'll sell shinigami goods as well, whoever is assigned to this district will need a bit of assistance I'm sure, this is the Jūreichi after all.” Kisuke defended. “Anyway, I'm certain that there will be a huge market for it in this town! People will come from all around, after all I have suppliers from all over Europe and Aisa. From Hsu Fu Chi to Milka, sweet lovers will be able to explore the world through candy!”

     Yoruichi blinked at that, unaware that her friend had any such ambitious candy plans. Suddenly one of the hollow reiatsu signatures that they had been ignoring all evening, moving through the backdrop of the town, flared up closer to them. Their heads whipped around to the scraggly bushes and weeds that had sprung up around the edge of the neighboring parking lot.

     Kisuke's cane snapped up and his fingers extended to cast a kido spell, if it proved necessary, as Yoruichi started towards the bushes. The signature was strong, but wavering and flickering oddly and Yoruichi wasn't sure what to make of it, but to wonder if it wasn't an average sort of hollow. This was the Jūreichi, as Kisuke had pointed out, all sorts of hollows no doubt gathered here.

     She dampened her own reiatsu and approached with silent steps, circling around to the right side of the plants. Yoruichi hovered close to the bushes for a moment to see if the hollow would jump out and attack but nothing happened. Leaning forward over the plants she parted a few branches and wondered how small this hollow was to fit in such a meager hiding place.

     Yorouichi peered through the branches at the source of the monster reiatsu and caught sight of the hollow. She was astounded to see that it was a little boy in torn, muddy clothes curled up with his arms wrapped around his knees. He looked up at her, golden eyes wet with tears shining out of deep shadows. She didn't know what to think, the boy didn't have a hollow mask anywhere that she could see, but his skin was so pale it glowed in the darkness.

     “Hey, Kisuke? I think you'll want to see this!” She called, not looking away from the crying boy as she waved a hand at him to approach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when Kisuke is explaining his candy store and says “From Hsu Fu Chi to Milka”, I just looked up this list on Wikipedia [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_top-selling_candy_brands ] and picked a newer Asian candy company (China 1992) and and older European candy company (Germany 1901)... to span history and locations. Basically the exiles have been traveling the world for the last 100 years and wherever Kisuke goes he learns and teaches about candy. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there was a comment on the last chapter that asked about them recognizing Ichigo because of Urahara's plans for Ichigo in canon, and I suppose I didn't make it clear within the story? So this is completely divergent from canon, Urahara has NO idea at all that Isshin is in the living world, nobody has any plans for Ichigo, his parents meeting and his existence and his powers are all a complete coincidence.

     Around the three friends the cool night air and glittering starlight belied the sense of unease that had crept over the scene. The local insect life had gone silent in response to the powerful hollow reiatsu that had flooded their surroundings, directionless but infecting the air with hopelessness.

     Once he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Yoruichi, Kisuke peered into the bushes she held parted and blinked wide eyes down at the hollow. It was covered in mud and dirt, leaves and twigs stuck in its tangled mop of white hair, and big dark eyes glittered wetly up at them.

     Looking down at the boy cowering in the bushes like a kicked puppy, or something equally pitiful, Kisuke was shocked at the humanity the hollow was displaying in both physical form and emotional expression. He hesitated at the thought of attacking the small hollow, and loosened his fingers from the kidō form he'd had ready. For a moment longer he and Yoruichi both just stared.

     Their gazes were locked, unblinking and the hollow's eyes seemed to focus on him with more certainty. “Can you can see me?” The boy asked them in a plaintive voice, breaking the stalemate.

     “We certainly can, Hollow-kun.” Kisuke answered in a light tone with an easy smile, taking refuge in his carefully crafted persona of a silly shopkeeper to hide his surprise.

     “Then why aren't you running away?” The little hollow asked, eyes getting impossibly wider, voice high and thready as he stared back at them.

     “From a cute little thing like you? I don't think we have anything to worry about, you don't seem scary~.” Kisuke said with mirth that he inwardly wasn't so sure of. After all, more humanoid hollows were more powerful hollows.

     “A-are you going to try to kill me too?” Hollow-kun's shoulders hunched and he buried his face in his knees after he asked this.

     “Hmm, Soul Purification? Oh, I don't know, are you going to try to eat us?” Kisuke joked, sharing a glance with Yoruichi. She smirked back at him, sharing his feigned humor in the situation.

     At the words the boy's head snapped up again and his eyes squinted as more tears welled up. “Why d-does everybody k-keep asking me that?” He sobbed loudly, staring at Kisuke like he had all the answers.

     Flailing a bit at the streaming tears and falling prey to the childlike visage of the hollow Kisuke foolishly reached forward and wiped at Hollow-kun's tears with the end of one of his sleeves. Both of them were so badly startled by the reflex that they sprang apart, and Hollow-kun tumbled out of the bushes to his hands and knees on the other side.

     “This hollow's weird, do you think he's like a real boy?” Yoruichi asked in a humorous tone as she dragged Kisuke by his other sleeve around the bushes to keep close to the little hollow. She released his sleeve and crouched down in front of the boy, bringing their noses only inches apart and when the boy's eyes nearly crossed to look at her a wide, teasing grin stretched across her face. “So do you _not_ want to eat us kid, because hurt feelings or not that is something we need to know.”

     Hollow-kun nibbled his lower lip and sniffed before answering. “I don't eat people... Why would I eat people? I don't want to eat you at all!” He wailed with another flood of tears.

     Kisuke could see Tessai still waiting for them farther away, and surely he and Yoruichi were tired after their flight, so Kisuke made a decision. After all, this strange little hollow was fascinating, he wanted to know just how different the boy was from normal hollows. _Was he perhaps like the Visoreds, or was he something else entirely?_ He didn't seem to have a mask, and Kisuke didn't see a hole anywhere, though admittedly the boy was dressed in a white version of a standard soul reaper's uniform so not a lot of him was clear to see.

     “Well in that case, perhaps you'd like to come in and share our dinner! I bought a feast to welcome my friends back to Japan and they only just arrived today!” Kisuke said and the little hollow stared up at him, ignoring Yoruichi entirely as shock and hope stole over his face.

     He didn't speak until Yoruichi nudged him nearly off-balance and then his head whipped over to look at her still grinning face and back at Kisuke before he started nodding frantically, more tears in his eyes. “Y-yes please.” The boy said timidly and Yoruichi grabbed one of his pale little hands and hauled him up, lifting him clean off his feat before setting him back down and leading him by the hand toward the shop. Throughout it all Hollow-kun didn't make a single threatening movement, just gazed at them both in confusion and then stumbled after his longer legged companions.

     Kisuke lead the way into the shop, locking up behind them and showing his friends and their guest into the room where he had set out the table and the covered dishes of catered food he'd splurged on for their arrival. There was more than enough for a fourth person, assuming the hollow boy could eat it, and Kisuke wondered if it would even digest if he did. Yoruichi pulled up another cushion for the boy while Tessai wandered right into the kitchen and unerringly found an extra plate, cup and chopsticks to set in front of him.

     Hollow-kun was very polite, without prompting he had made to take off his shoes at the door, though he had struggled with them as if he didn't know how to get them off and Yoruichi took a moment to snicker at his trouble before helping him. The boy watched what she did carefully like someone who was trying to learn something new and then followed them to the table to wait nervously for the arrangements. His eyes glanced around the whole room curiously, just like a real child, but he didn't wander off anywhere, just took a seat with the rest of them and stared at the food while they served themselves.

     “Well don't you want anything kid?” Yoruichi asked as she scooped rice onto her own plate.

     “Um, yes?” Hollow-kun said, nibbling on his lip again, but at least the tears had stopped when they'd come inside.

     “You can just grab it, we're not really formal around here.” She said, setting the rice next to his plate in offer.

     The boy filled his plate quickly after that, and ate like he hadn't had a meal in days, which amused the three adults but concerned them in more than one way. If he was really a hollow then did his appetite mean that he hadn't eaten souls recently? Was he hungry enough to try to eat them? If he wasn't a normal hollow, if he didn't eat souls at all (though how could that be?) then did he _need_ regular food like this and really had been starving?

     Kisuke set his own chopsticks down and observed the boy from over the rim of his cup of tea. He was really quite dirty, covered in mud in addition to the twigs and leaves in his hair and torn clothing. They should have probably washed his hands before he started in on the food, but would a hollow boy suffer from germs that may come from eating with dirty hands? Kisuke _really_ wanted to run some tests. A lot of tests. As many tests as he could think of.

     Suddenly the little hollow stopped eating and burped loudly like any human child who had eaten too much too fast, sending Yoruichi into a fit of laughter. The boy startled as she ruffled his messy hair and pulled her hand away with a few twigs between her fingers. She shook her hand with a bemused look, like a cat shaking a damp paw, and Hollow-kun's cheeks turned a curious shade of blue. _Was he blushing?_

     'Cute~' Kisuke thought as he smirked to himself behind his cup. Setting the cup down at last he spoke up. “I think we've forgotten something important, introductions!” He said to the room, drawing the boy's attention. “I am Urahara Kisuke, and this is my delightful new candy shop!”

     Finally casting off the last twig Yoruichi knocked on the table to draw attention, flashing another grin at the hollow boy. “Just call me Yoruichi, kid.”

     “And my name is Tsukabishi Tessai.” Tessai said much more formally, with a little bow in the boy's direction.

     The three friends stared patiently at the boy as he glanced around at them. “My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, it is nice to meet you.” He said very politely, with his own little bow. The boy really was just too cute. All three of them could feel themselves getting attached, and hoping that this boy was not _really_ a hollow. It would be fun to have a little kid around, one that actually acted like a kid instead of kicking them in the face, _Hiyori_. They were all thinking it, that maybe this little hollow could be _their_ little hollow, and surprisingly they all really hoped so.


End file.
